No…you can’t tell what’s in a person’s heart until you truly know them. If their cursed self and their fairy tale self are both them then what does this say about Belle’s new persona Lacey. Was Belle, had she not been locked away in Regina’s asylum, destined to be Lacey or was this new twist purely at the hands of Regina’s whimsicality? Can Belle ever return to her old self, the kind-hearted princess we all love? And what of Mr. Gold? Is the fate of his happily ever after, that being ridding himself of the Dark One, sealed if Lacey brings out his dark side? Will Belle ever be “both” again—foremost Belle with an inner Lacey? All questions that ring about at the close of this episode. But let’s look at what went down. Belle, a recovering amnesic patient, is ready to remember. Mr. Gold comes to her rescue, offering her the aid she needs but in return that she help bring out his softer side. Belle, or whoever she is, agrees. Mr. Gold expedites her hospital leave. However, whilst he is out of the room, Mayor Regina Mills enters. She may come across as thoughtful, but her thoughts are solely focused on her. Whipping up a little bit of magic, she brainwashes Belle into “remembering” who she was…that being a scantily clad pool-table pro with a taste for alcohol and bad boys. Mr. Gold is furious. How dare Regina do such a thing? How will he ever be good without kind-hearted Belle? This skank will only bring about what he’s trying to suppress. Worse yet, Belle…I mean, Lacey…wants nothing to do with the old crippled man. However, after some quick advice from Charming—show her the man she fell in love with—Mr. Gold approaches Lacey and asks her on a date.

Back in Fairy Tale Land Belle has just been captured by Rumplestiltskin and her homesick tears are driving Rumplestiltskin crazy. His tirade, er, pep talk, is interrupted by a clang upstairs. Rumplestiltskin and Belle go running toward the noise. A thief—a hooded thief—is attempting to steal a magic wand. Rumplestiltskin starts the man who tries to kill the imp with his bow. His bow, you should note, never misses its mark. Sound familiar? Snow White was going to use that weapon to kill the Evil Queen. Anyway, Rumplestiltskin is not easily killed. The man tries to run, but Rumplestiltskin captures him and locks him away. Later, Belle finds the man bound and bleeding. She frees him and wishes him luck. Rumplestiltskin is angered by her betrayal. The man not only escaped but he got away with the wand. Rumplestiltskin can’t let him get away. No problem, he hunt the man down and kill him with his own bow and arrow that can’t miss. Rumplestiltskin and Belle, who is forced to tag along and watch the killing, come across the Sheriff of Nottingham, who is just as angered by the thieving man who goes by the name Robin Hood. The sheriff points Rumplestiltskin in Robin Hood’s direction—the Sherwood Forest. Rumplestiltskin and Belle spot Robin Hood in the woods, but he’s not alone. In a wagon is a sick, pregnant woman. Robin Hood uses the wand to heal the woman, an act kind enough to spur Belle into action. Using her words, she convinces Rumplestiltskin to let the man go. Can’t he see the good he was doing with the magic? Not one to admit his wrongs, Rumplestiltskin fires the arrow at the wagon, purposefully missing the young couple, but successfully scaring them off. Belle is touched. Maybe Rumplestiltskin isn’t such a beast after all.

Back in Storybrooke, Mr. Gold and Lacey are on their date. All of Belle’s favorites are a complete bore to Lacey. Hamburgers…yuck. Tea…no way. More like white wine by the glassful. And while Mr. Gold may seem like a nice guy, there’s another man who’s caught her eye. Slipping out the back after a drink spills on her dress, Mr. Gold finds Belle/Lacey making out with a familiar face—the Sheriff of Nottingham. Mr. Gold scares the man off and confronts Lacey, but Lacey won’t back down. She wanted to be with that man, not Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold is furious and frustrated. Lacey is wearing him out. He wants his beloved back. So he takes it out on the Sheriff of Nottingham, taking his tongue so he can’t scream, and begins to beat him up. Lacey sees Mr. Gold and runs up to him. Mr. Gold is at first embarrassed, but when Lacey expresses fascination in this new side of Mr. Gold, an evil gleam enters the man’s eyes. To win Belle’s heart he must give in to his dark side? Then so be it! And proceeds to beat the Sheriff in the presence of a beautiful audience.

In other parts of Storybrooke, Mary Margaret and David decide to reveal to Emma their newest agricultural project. Hidden from view much like Hook’s Jolly Roger, the bean field is coming along nicely. Rows and rows of magic beans with the capability of transporting the Charmings back home. Emma’s not so sure she wants to leave Storybrooke. After all, that is the only world she’s known. Sure, she’s from Fairy Tale Land, but could she live there forever? And Regina’s become suspicious of the dwarves’ and Prince Charming’s comings and goings decides to track their movements with a little magical GPS. She finds the bean field. What will this mean for the lives she controls in Storybrooke? Will Regina get power back? Will she destroy the beans? Or will she steal them for her own use? Even more, Greg and Tamara have their own secrets. Yeah, yeah, they’re having an affair that Neal (Tamara’s fiancé) is unaware of, but more than that they’re searching for Greg’s father. Regina claims Greg’s father is not in Storybrooke, but Greg refuses to believe the Evil Queen. With Tamara’s help and a certain “package” she has in her possession, they are sure to find some answers. In the cover of darkness, Tamara brings in her “package.” In the back of a trailer is Captain Hook, bound and held hostage by Once Upon a Time’s newest, unstable villains.

Burning Questions: 1) Was Belle, had she not been locked away in Regina’s asylum, destined to be Lacey or was this new twist purely at the hands of Regina’s whimsicality? 2) Can Belle ever return to her old self, the kind-hearted princess we all love? Will Belle ever be “both” again—foremost Belle with an inner Lacey? 3) Is the fate of Mr. Gold’s happily ever after, that being ridding himself of the Dark One, sealed if Lacey reinforces his dark side? 4) What will happen now that Regina knows about the magic beans? 5) What is Greg and Tamara up to? How can Hook help them? 6) Will the Charmings be heading to Fairy Tale Land? What about the Charming extended family—Mr. Gold, Bae, etc.? Who will stay, who will go? 7) Where was Robin Hood in Storybrooke? Or is he there at all? ~ Taryn